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Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme - Overview

The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme is an innovative scholarship designed to help undergraduate students from all disciplines and walks of life to develop strong research and leadership skills which will allow them to excel in both their degree programmes and their careers.

Are you ambitious, self-motivated and keen to grow academically and personally beyond the classroom? You could be one of the first Laidlaw Scholars at Trinity!

Applications for the 2018 programme are now open and close on 29th of March 2018.

You can fill out an application by following this link:

Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme - Application FormThis application form has 9 questions and requires approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, not including time required to compose your statements.We recommend preparing answers to longer questions separately (e.g. in a MS Word document) as the application form may not save your in progress work indefinitely.

What is the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme?

The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme is an innovative scholarship designed to help undergraduate students from all disciplines and walks of life develop strong research and leadership skills which will allow them to excel in both their degree programmes and their careers.

The programme is sponsored by Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay and is in two parts - an integrated leadership development programme, and a research project comprised of two periods of research of five weeks each carried out over two consecutive summers. Activities will take place from June 2018 until October 2019 and will be also include regular networking events and mentoring.

The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme was established in 2014; the long-term vision is to create a wide-reaching and diverse network of Laidlaw Scholars who will reinvest their knowledge, skills and experience in their communities. Laidlaw Scholars will gain valuable skills in research, communication and leadership and improve their employability by participating in workshops designed to develop self-awareness, initiative, motivation and creativity.

The programme has already been introduced in universities across the UK - Oxford, Durham, Leeds, York, St Andrews and UCL - and Trinity is joining Columbia University, Tufts, the University of Capetown and the University of Hong Kong in introducing the Laidlaw scholarship in 2018.

What do Laidlaw Scholars from other Universities say?

“Now that I have completed my leadership training and my two summers of research I can see just how much I have benefited from the scheme. I have become more confident and assertive. I am thrilled to tell you I have successfully gained an industrial placement in a cancer research lab in Singapore.” Rachael, Leeds University

“It was a great opportunity to mix with people from different departments and disciplines and to step out of your comfort zone and get exposed to alternative ways of approaching tasks etc.” Katie, St Andrews.

What is involved?

The programme includes two elements:

Leadership Training
The leadership development section of programme is made up of residential weekends, online reflection modules, and mentoring, with an emphasis on personal development, self-awareness and communication skills. Two leadership workshops will be residential and will be run off-campus, with a focus on interactive learning and team activities. There will also be ongoing mentoring and online learning activities, in addition to opportunities for networking and reflection.

Research Project
A research project made up of two periods of research of 5 weeks each carried out over 2 consecutive summers (Summers 2018 and 2019) during which time you will pursue and report on a research question, with the help of your research supervisor.

If you are successful in becoming a Laidlaw Scholar, you will receive a stipend of €550 per week for the 10 weeks of your research project. There will also be a travel fund available which you can apply to if you feel your research requires travel outside Trinity.

What will you learn on the programme?

There are a range of benefits to taking part in the Laidlaw programme, such as:

You will increase your employability by developing your skills and confidence in research, designing a project and leadership situations.

You will gain valuable transferable skills in project management, leadership, communications and team working.

You will undertake a unique research project with funding provided.

You will have the opportunity to become part of the prestigious Laidlaw Scholars community and to become involved in profile raising opportunities during the Programme.

Can you apply to be a Laidlaw Scholar?

You are eligible to apply if you are:

2nd year of a 4-year undergraduate degree programme in 17/18
OR

2nd or 3rd year of a 5-year undergraduate degree programme in 17/18
OR

2nd or 3rd year of a 5-year integrated masters degree programme in 17/18 (e.g. MAI, Pharmacy).

The applications are not open to visiting students due to the length of the programme.

How do I apply to be a Laidlaw Scholar?

Applications for the 2018 programme are now open and close on 29th of March 2018. Applications can be completed by following this link:

Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme - Application FormThis application form has 9 questions and requires approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, not including time required to compose your statements.We recommend preparing answers to longer questions separately (e.g. in a MS Word document) as the application form may not save your in progress work indefinitely.

A briefing session will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, 14th February 2018, in Room 3074, Arts Building. You don’t need to register to attend the briefing.

Where can I find further information?

The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme is run by the Careers Advisory Service. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Student Employability Officer, Joel McKeever, at employability@tcd.ie